FrogID Project Resources

Build Your Own Frog Pond With FrogID and Bunnings frogid.net.au

FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 1 1. Background

Bunnings and the About the Australian Museum Australian Museum

Bunnings and the Australian Museum Established in 1827, the AM, is the nation’s (AM) have partnered together on a first museum, and the fifth oldest natural world-leading citizen-science project history museum in the world. The AM called FrogID. enriches the community by researching, exhibiting, educating and communicating This national campaign, launched in the relationships between people, cultures November 2017, is focused on one of our and the natural environment. The AM, most threatened animal groups – frogs. located in Sydney, is the custodian of an The rapid disappearance of frogs is a unrivalled collection of more than 18.5 warning about the rate of environmental million objects spanning culture and change as their physiology and life-cycle natural history. makes them highly sensitive to changes on land and in water. The goal of the Bunnings and the AM About Bunnings partnership is to engage with local schools Bunnings is the leading retailer of home and communities through the Bunnings improvement and outdoor living products network to: in Australia and New Zealand. Bunnings • create habitats that attract and employs over 40,000 team members and support frogs at schools around operates over 250 warehouses. Bunnings Australia while raising awareness understands that their operations have about the importance of frogs an impact, both on the communities they and the environment work in and more widely. It is fundamental to the Bunnings business to meaningfully • promote the FrogID app and recruit participate in local neighbourhoods and ‘froggers’ (FrogID users) to participate schools and to have a long term focus in a program that is helping to provide on sustainability. an important snapshot of Australia’s environmental health. FrogID is supported by the FrogID app. Resources Developed by the AM in partnership with This document provides details on IBM, the FrogID app uses the latest in the FrogID project and building frog audio recording technology to record frog ponds including: calls. Identification of frogs by appearance is almost impossible for many species, but • How to use the FrogID app identification using frog calls is remarkably • Designing a frog pond accurate. The AM has worked with IBM to develop a mobile application using frog • Building a frog pond with Bunnings ‘audio DNA’, which enables members of • Links to FrogID learning resources the public and students to accurately including activities. identify species and their habitats all through their smart phone. By using the FrogID app and engaging communities, the AM will be able to track changes in frog populations and so gauge the effect of environmental change on different frog species.

2 FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings About Frogs

Frogs are amphibians that evolved Frogs live on all the large landmasses 350 million years ago. Most amphibian of the world, except Antarctica and species have two parts to their life cycle Greenland. They are most common in (amphibian means ‘both life’) the first in the warm, wet tropics, but they also live water during the egg and larva stage in rainforests, deserts, alpine areas and and the second on land during the above and below ground. adult stage. Frogs require moisture to survive and to There are five native families of frogs breed. Most frog species are nocturnal in Australia as well as a sixth and are therefore more active, and vocal, introduced family: after dusk. Given their reliance on water for breeding, frogs tend to call more after rain. Some frog species breed almost • Tree Frogs, the Pelodryidae, which all year, others will only breed (and can be divided into climbing, ground- therefore call) a few nights a year. living and water-holding frogs as well as tree-dwelling, ground While the best time to hear frogs is dwelling and almost all entirely typically the warmer months, as most aquatic species, as well as frog species choose to breed in the burrowing frogs. spring and summer, some frog species prefer the cooler months. Others, such • Ground Frogs, the Myobatrachidae as the desert-dwelling Eastern Water- and Limnodynastidae, are unique holding Frog (Cyclorana platycephala), to the Australian region and have will just call anytime that it rains enough. adapted to also live in a wide range of habitats. In almost all frog species, only males call. As every species has a different sounding • Narrow-mouthed Frogs, the call, you can identify frog species just by Microhylidae, which have toe discs listening. The typical calls that we hear for climbing and are mostly walkers frogs make are male frogs advertising rather than leapers. Unlike most themselves as potential partners, hoping other Australian frogs, they have that female frogs will be attracted to direct development where the them. Because the aim of the encounter froglets develop in the egg is to breed, male frogs typically call in or without a tadpole stage. near water (ponds, dams, streams and • True Frogs, the Ranidae, which wetlands), where eggs are most often have long hind legs that allow them laid and tadpoles develop. to swim and leap well. There is only one species of True Frog in Australia. • Toads, the Bufonidae, have a thick dry skin, as well as different bone structure to other families of frogs. The introduced Cane Toad is the only toad in Australia.

FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 3 4 FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 2. FrogID Project

a. Summary d. How will the FrogID app help frog conservation? The FrogID app and website include details of all 240 Australian native frogs In Australia, we have lost at least four including images, call recordings, habitats species of frog already to extinction, and breeding times. Download and search and many more are at risk. One of the the FrogID mobile app and become a biggest problems we face is that we still citizen scientist by recording frog calls in know so little about our native frogs, for your garden or local area. Data collected example, where they are and how they from the FrogID app will help scientists are doing. The FrogID app aims to make determine where frogs are most at risk of learning about Australian frogs, what is habitat loss, climate change and disease. happening to them, and the importance of conserving frogs, easy. With the FrogID b. Why are frogs important? app, people from all over the country can record frog calls and identify frogs in their Frogs play a vital role in many food webs, area using their smartphones. Using the as both predators and prey. Frogs are FrogID app helps scientists determine major predators of insects and other where our native frog species are found, invertebrates, including pest species. what habitats frogs need to survive As prey, they provide food for birds, and how frog species are responding fish, snakes and other larger animals. to environmental change. Collecting this information and making use of it in Frogs are often the first animals to be conservation efforts could be crucial to affected by environmental change, and saving Australia’s frogs. so may act as biological indicators of the state of the environment. Their special permeable skin makes frogs susceptible to e. How does the environmental changes. Climate change, FrogID app work? habitat destruction, introduced species and disease all have detrimental effects Download on frog populations. Due to the various • Firstly, the FrogID app, iOS app or threats against frog populations and their Android app must be downloaded rapidly decreasing numbers, conservation to a smartphone device. efforts have become vital to their survival. • There is a quick ‘How to’ section that can be used on the app, accessed c. How will FrogID and Bunnings via the ‘About’ section in the ‘Profile’ help frog conservation? screen.

In urban areas, human development has • It is necessary to allow the FrogID app reduced the natural habitat available to to know your location. Click ‘Allow’ for frogs. Through the FrogID project and FrogID to access your location while with support from the Bunnings network, you are using the app. frog habitats will be built in local schools. • It is recommended to download offline This will help conservation efforts and content to your phone such as the improve the health of urban and images and calls of the frogs in the suburban ecosystems. app. If you are in a remote location or have limited internet access you will be able to use all the features of FrogID without being connected to the internet.

FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 5 Profile Record • A profile must be created to submit a • The next section in the FrogID call. Log in on the ‘Profile’ section or app is the ‘Recording’ section create a profile by signing up with an which is where the sounds of the email address. frog are recorded and there is the opportunity to enter notes and • The Profile page enables you to view: photographs. The app needs to be º all the calls you have recorded given permission to access your mobile’s microphone, for recording º calls you have submitted to work, which should be completed º calls that have been verified as a in the Settings on your phone. frog species Press the red button on the app to º calls that cannot be determined start recording a frog call. At least or are not frogs. 20 seconds of recording the call is required. When you reach more than Explore 20 seconds recording you can stop the recording by pressing the red • The first section in the FrogID app is record button again. the ‘Explore’ screen, featuring over 240 species of frog in Australia. All º Additional information can then the frog species can be discovered be added to the recording which by scrolling left through the circular is useful in helping to validate buttons or ‘Bubbles’ or in the list the call and for building the frog view below this area. If you have species database. For example, allowed the app to access your select the type of habitat where location in settings, the larger the recording was done and circular buttons will show the frogs the water body type. that are most common in your area º The frog call can now be sent and that are likely to be calling now. by pressing ‘Submit’. As the app Scrolling right the bubbles become provides information on frogs smaller and the further right you go, in your location you can find the frogs that are less likely to be a similar match to your frog, around are displayed. however, you don’t need to do • Selecting a frog will show you the this to submit your frog call. details about that frog. Scrolling What happens next down there is a brief description of the frog species, a description of • If you are in reception, calls will their preferred habitat, a distribution be submitted to the AM for expert map, breeding biology description identification, they will show and the other frog species that are up in your “Submitted: Pending similar. You can move to the next Verification” section of your Profile. frog in the list using the arrows in • If you are not in reception, they will the top right of the screen. show up in your “Submitted: Pending Upload”, and you will need to open Filter up your app again when in reception • In the top left of the screen you can or Wi-Fi and the calls should click on ‘Filter’ to refine the selection automatically sync and upload of frogs seen on the Explore screen to the AM. such as: • Make sure all your calls are º ‘Near Me’ will use your phone submitted, any that haven’t will location service to only show show up under “Not submitted”. frogs in your regional area • You will get an email and your º ‘Calling Period’ selects frogs that app will be updated when your are calling in a particular month recordings have been identified. º ‘Habitat’ selects the environment • For further information, visit the and water body you are FrogID website, frogid.net.au exploring.

6 FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 7 º Consider electricity supply, f. Building the frog pond cabling and piping that may be underground and make sure How to build a frog pond there is access to additional water Not all frogs live or breed in the same supplies if required. Ponds need kinds of habitat. Frogs are typically found water all year round however; the in and around wet environments such as depth of the pond water can wetlands, creeks, streams and other pools increase or decrease over time. of water. Frogs are attracted to native • A frog pond will attract frogs which plants, in particular reeds and grasses that can be noisy! Be aware of neighbours, grow in wet environments. Within these that may be annoyed by frog calling, environments, frogs call and lay their eggs. when selecting the site of your pond. When building a frog pond, it is important to consider the frog species in your area • A frog’s permeable skin makes it and their preferred habitat and construct vulnerable to chemicals that may be your pond in a way that will attract these present in your garden. You should frogs. By using the ‘Near Me’ or ‘Habitat’ avoid the use of pesticides and filter on the FrogID app, you can discover herbicides in the areas surrounding a comprehensive list of frog species in your pond. These chemicals will be your surrounding area. harmful to your frog population and will deplete their main source of food. Provided below are two methods for Frogs have a largely insect diet which building a frog pond: means they act as a natural pesticide! • Building a prefabricated frog pond • In order to attract tree frogs, it may • Building a frog pond from scratch help to provide additional shelter Bunnings has all the equipment required sites as well as a pond. One of the to construct the two options and Bunnings easiest and cheapest ways to do this team members will be able to guide you is with a PVC pipe. A piece of pipe as to your requirements. approximately one metre long, planted vertically in the ground without General considerations including the cap will provide a dark before you get started and moist shelter for tree frogs. • The first decision is where to build the Making your frog pond safe frog pond. The following things should be considered when you are looking As with any activity around water, there for a suitable location: are some risks involved. These include: º Build the pond away from existing • Drowning hazards large trees to avoid roots and leaves falling in which may • Unsupervised access to the pond contaminate the water. • Water quality and related health º Avoid areas where pesticides are hazards used or receive run off from • Overhanging branches, obstructed industry or other urban paths and unstable or steep banks developments. • Hygiene issues relating to the water º Check with your local council regarding any restrictions on building the frog pond and if there is a requirement for protection such as a fence.

8 FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings Suggested methods to manage water • Ensure that the area is regularly risk and frog pond health are as follows: maintained so that the perimeter of the pond is visible. • Check the local council and • Clear signage should be used at school requirements for water risk the access points to the pond. management in regards to children. Ensure that the frog pond meets • Ensure that both children and adults those requirements and that any wear the appropriate footwear. school building a pond is aware of • In schools, all supervising teachers ongoing duty of care in regard to should be trained in first aid and be the frog pond. aware of the required regulations • Control access to the pond using and risk management requirements. fencing or cover the pond with rigid • Frog ponds should only be mesh to prevent falling in. A rigid populated by frogs that have moved metal grille should be used. Do not into the pond by themselves. Do not forget to check it regularly to make introduce frogs to the pond. sure it is up to the job of keeping young children out of the water and • Do not handle the frogs as they are that any entry points (e.g. gates) very sensitive to chemicals. are locked. • Ensure there is adequate supervision of children at all times. • Ensure that children wash their hands after visiting the pond. • The banks of the pond should be clearly identifiable or feature a barrier of rocks, logs and vegetation.

FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 9 Australian Museum’s Amphibian Biologist, Dr Jodi Rowley, with students at Camdenville Public School in Newtown for the Bunnings

10 FrogID Project Teacher Resources: Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings and FrogID partnership launch. Other Safety Information

Water safety • Each state has their own relevant code and legislation. Please check your state legislation with your local council before building a pond. • However, keeping the pond depth to less than 300mm and with additional safety measures such as mesh over the water body should be adequate in the majority of school settings.

Frog ponds attracting snakes • Building a frog pond is about creating an ecosystem, and this means that it may attract other wildlife to the pond, particularly in spells of dry weather. Some species of snakes are attracted to water bodies due to an abundance of food, but they are generally not attracted to areas where people are frequently moving. If a snake is spotted near your pond treat this like you would any other area in your garden or school, stay calm, move away from the area and call in a relevant person to remove the snake. If a snake is near your pond it is more likely to have already existed in the area prior to the ponds installation.

Ponds attracting cane toads • It is unlikely that you will get cane toads specifically for your small water body, unless they are already present in the area. There is always a potential that a cane toad will visit your pond – if this is the case it is essential that you report it to your local biosecurity agency. They will be able to provide you with the appropriate advice on how to deal with it.

FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 11 3. How to Build a Prefabricated Frog Pond

STEP 1: STEP 6: Ensure that the prefabricated frog pond Add in your native plants and let them settle mould make is strong and will not easily be in for at least a week. Reeds and sedges are punctured by rocks or other debris. It should ideal for the shallows of your pond. These have varying depths of both shallow and plants keep the water clean and provide deeper areas. This will allow your frogs to shelter for frogs and food for tadpoles. Create manoeuvre around the pond according to a wet area around the pond that will not dry their needs for water depth and temperature. out quickly by including logs, rocks, mulch and other native plants of various types that STEP 2: will provide shelter and shade. If you are using a pre-fabricated container such as a plastic frog pond mould, rinse the STEP 7: container before you install it to get rid of any If you are using tap or tank water to fill the harmful chemicals. pond, let it sit in the sun for approximately 5 days for chlorine and any other harmful STEP 3: substances to dissipate. A chlorine neutraliser Dig a hole to fit your container. The top can also be used in tap water. This process of the container should be level with the should be adhered to every time water is surrounding ground. Back fill any edges to added to the pond. close any gaps next to the container so that it is snug. Consider what will happen in the case STEP 8: of heavy rain. For example, an overflow area The use of aquatic plants will act as a natural below the pond height to catch a surplus of filter to keep your pond water clear. However, water may be required. if you still wish to use a water pump, it should be covered by mesh to protect any tadpoles STEP 4: from being harmed. Line the bottom of the container with washed sand or gravel. Ensure that neither have been STEP 9: treated chemically. Wait for the frogs! Once they arrive start recording the frogs on the FrogID app. STEP 5: Building a frog pond is just as much as about STEP 10: the environment around the pond as the Remember to maintain the frog pond. Top up pond itself. It is important to ensure the walls the pond with water if required and remove of your pond are not too steep or slippery, excess leaves and other dead plant material. as some frogs can get stuck in the water Aquatic plants should be thinned out to and drown. Use pebbles and larger rocks on ensure they do not cover more than a quarter the base and around the sides of your pond of the pond surface. to provide a surface that the frogs can grip when exiting the pond. NOTE: All ponds in gardens with young children or TIP: Think about how a frog would enter and in schools should be covered by a metal mesh exit the pond by submerging some rocks and panel (100 x 100mm square holes) to avoid logs at the bottom of your pond. This will also children falling in. The Australian Museum will encourage algal growth, which provides food not be supplying frogs to put in your frog and shelter for tadpoles. pond. The pond you build will attract frogs that are already living in the surrounding environment.

12 FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 4. How to Build a Frog Pond From Scratch

STEP 1: STEP 7: Mark out the shape of the frog pond that you Add in your native plants and let them settle would like to dig. A simpler shape is easiest, in for at least a week. Reeds and sedges are such as a kidney bean, as the pond must ideal for the shallows of your pond. These be lined. plants keep the water clean and provide shelter for frogs and food for tadpoles. Create STEP 2: a wet area around the pond that will not dry Begin removing the turf. The base of the out quickly by including logs, rocks, mulch pond will require varying levels, both shallow and other native plants of various types that and deep. Although frogs do not require will provide shelter and shade. very deep water (about 50cm), if you plan to add fish their requirements for water depth STEP 8: should also be considered. Sloped pond sides If you are using tap or tank water to fill the will enable young frogs to enter and exit the pond, let it sit in the sun for approximately pond. Check that the sides of the pond are 5 days for chlorine and any other harmful level on all sides otherwise water will escape. substances to dissipate. A chlorine neutraliser This can be done using a spirit level and can also be used in tap water. This process a plank. should be adhered to every time water is added to the pond. STEP 3: Seal the pond with a pond underlay. The STEP 9: sides of the underlay should extend beyond The use of aquatic plants will act as a natural the sides of the pond by a margin that can filter to keep your pond water clear. However, be covered by turf and stones. This will if you still wish to use a water pump, it should protect the pond liner and the pond. Press be covered by mesh to protect any tadpoles the underlay into the shape of the pond using from being harmed. your hands. STEP 10: STEP 4: Trim the pond underlay and pond liner Line the pond with pond liner again pressing around the edges of your pond in areas you it into the shape of the pond and making it have not covered with turf, stones or plants. as wrinkle free as possible. The sides of the pond liner should extend beyond the sides of STEP 11: the pond by a margin that can be covered by Wait for the frogs! Once they arrive start turf and stones. Ensure that you do not tear recording the frogs on the FrogID app. the liner. STEP 12: STEP 5: Remember to maintain the frog pond. Top up Line the bottom of the pond with washed the pond with water if required and remove sand or gravel. Ensure that neither have excess leaves and other dead plant material. been treated chemically. Aquatic plants should be thinned out to ensure they do not cover more than a quarter STEP 6: of the pond surface. It is important to ensure the walls of your pond are not too steep or slippery, as some NOTE: frogs can get stuck in the water and drown. All ponds in gardens with young children or Use pebbles and larger rocks on the base and in schools should be covered by a metal mesh around the sides of your pond to provide a panel (100 x 100mm square holes) to avoid surface that the frogs can grip when exiting children falling in. The Australian Museum will the pond. not be supplying frogs to put in your frog pond. The pond you build will attract frogs TIP: Think about how a frog would enter and that are already living in the surrounding exit the pond by submerging some rocks and environment. logs at the bottom of your pond. This will also encourage algal growth, which provides food and shelter for tadpoles.

FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 13 5. Additional Learning Resources

Download and explore the FrogID app or visit the FrogID website for information on Australia’s native frogs, their habitats, breeding times and to listen to their calls. https://www.frogid.net.au/

The Australian Museum has also created a number of educational resources and assets to use in the classroom and outside. Links to these resources are provided below and can be downloaded for use at home or in the classroom. Alternatively please go to directly to the FrogID website

Each of the educational topics include:

• summary and objectives

• curriculum links for stages 1-5

• presentation slides

• suggested session structure

• a number of student activities.

a. Australian Frogs Introduces students to the diversity of Australian frogs.

• media.australianmuseum.net.au/media/dd/documents/ australian_frogs_2018_dsdp9v.6074d11.pdf

b. What Is A Frog?

Introduces students to the classification of frogs and toads.

• media.australianmuseum.net.au/media/dd/documents/ what_is_a_frog_2018_ao8f2g.cf378ee.pdf

c. Frog Habitats and Adaptation

Introduces students to the concepts of habitats, adaptations and food webs.

• media.australianmuseum.net.au/media/dd/documents/ frog_habitat_adaptation_2018_gtpkei.7e1b201.pdf

14 FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings FrogID Project Build Your Own Frog Pond with FrogID and Bunnings 15 FrogID is proudly supported by:

PARTNER SUPPORTING PARTNER

MUSEUM PARTNERS